1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to lifting shelves. More particularly, it relates to a system for lifting and supporting on rolling supports, display structures such as retail store display cases commonly known as gondolas, which employ a system of legs for support of shelves on a floor surface, such as those employed in convenience stores such as 7-ELEVEN.
2. Prior Art
Storage and display shelving and cases are conventionally employed to display goods for customers visiting grocery, department stores and convenience stores. Because floor space in most retail stores is at such a premium, and in order to conserve floor space in retail and commercial situations and to provide better viewing and access to products, such shelving is commonly employed to hold products.
In a retail setting such as a convenience store that sells food, beverages, groceries, and dry goods, such shelving is generally arranged to form aisles therebetween for customers to traverse through adjacent shelf structures. In convenience store settings, some shelving is adapted to hold food which may be ready to eat or may need condiments added. Other shelving is configured to hold drinks and self-serve food products, while other shelving may hold groceries and other products which customers are used to purchasing in such convenience stores for instance such as the 7-ELEVEN chain of stores.
In such a retail setting as convenience stores, such shelving undergoes heavy use by the buying public. It is, therefore, subject to repairs and replacement much quicker than shelving used in large department stores and grocery stores which is bigger in scope and in generally is not employed by customers preparing food and drinks.
A vexing problem of such convenience store shelving, by nature of a need to support a load in some instances, and to allow for food preparation and the like, is the ongoing need to move such shelving for maintenance and replacement and cleaning. Further, maintenance of the supporting floors underneath such convenience store shelving is also a constant requirement due to the ongoing preparation of food and beverages overhead, and the high traffic volume through such stores. Dropped food and drinks present a health hazard as well as the potential for odors and slippery and sticky floors, all of which are undesirable in such a convenience store setting.
Unlike grocery store shelves which have tall shelving supporting multiple shelves vertically, and vertical risers supporting both, convenience store shelving is generally different as dictated by its venue and use. Such shelving is generally shorter in length and height, for instance, the gondola shelving sold and employed in 7-ELEVEN stores, by Royston LLC of Jasper, Ga., whose catalog for such shelving is made part hereof in its entirety.
In order to lift and move such shelving in the small confines of a convenience store, it is desirable to have components which allow for easy lifting, easy movement, and easy replacement to the shelving's original position after the cleaning of floors and walls of the venue, and/or repairing the gondola shelving. This need for ease, and for speed is multiplied by the fact that such convenience stores are frequently open 24 hours a day and frequented by customers who need to use the shelving in an ongoing fashion in order to prepare food products which generates store revenue. Moved shelves, thus cause loss of revenue and inconvenience for store owners and store patrons alike. The ability to easily move, clean, and replace the shelving to its original position is something currently lacking.
As a consequence, there is a continuing unmet need for an improved device and system of components, which provides for easy, quick, and safe support and movement of the relatively smaller specialized gondola shelving employed in convenience stores. Such a system should be easily customized to lift the different type smaller gondola shelves and quickly move them in the crowded and busy confines of a convenience store locale. Additionally, such a system should preferably eliminate the need for power or hydraulic jacks to lift the gondolas by their supports, since such jacks are slow and generally unsafe for use while engaged to shelving in the busy customer filled confines of a retail environment.
Finally, such a system and device should provide for safe elevated and wheeled support of the shelving being moved. Concurrently when supported the system should enable easy movement of the supported shelves in any direction without turning wheels during movement, and an easy manner to return the moved shelving to its original position once cleaning and repairs to the support surface and/or the shelves is finished.